Council votes to amend city's zoning ordinances

LEOMINSTER -- The City Council voted Monday night to amend the city's zoning ordinances to insert a recreational marijuana establishment moratorium.

Discussion on the moratorium was limited Monday night, with only Council President David Cormier voting against the amendment.

The council had initially approved the moratorium unanimously when they first voted on it in March. At the time Cormier remarked that he had only voted for it in order to hear from the city solicitor what the consequences of not actually implementing the moratorium would be.

"I don't think it's going to mean much. I think the legislature has put a stop to this until July 2018 anyway," Cormier said after Monday night's meeting. "I think we'd just be wasting our time."

The city's moratorium would last until July 1, 2018, however the state legislature has already prohibited any recreational marijuana related facility from opening until after July.

A public hearing to further discuss the moratorium was scheduled by the council for May 8.

Monday night also saw councilors discuss the issue of city boards and commissions not having enough members present during meetings to have a quorum.

Prior to a vote to reappoint 12 city officials, at-large Councilor Claire Freda said she wanted to have a better idea of what attendance has been like at meetings for city boards and commissions.

"We've just normally reappointed everyone and not questioned it, but it's gotten to be a bit serious," she said.

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"I'm not looking at someone who's missing a meeting here and there, but if someone is missing two, three, or four meetings in a row, they should be looking to adjust their schedules or step down."

The council did approve the reappointments, but other councilors said they agreed with Freda's points.

"With this particular group I feel comfortable. I've seen these names in meeting minutes and I'm not going to hold these people up. But I do understand the concerns based on their merits," said Ward 1 Councilor Gail Feckley.

A petition to accept Constitution Drive and Federal Circle as accepted streets was given further time, but the topic did result in Cormier being asked by Ward 4 Councilor Mark Bodanza to create a council subcommittee to explore the possibilities of accepting more streets in Leominster.

"Some of the melting snow has revealed a number of streets in pretty poor condition and I bet a number of councilors have gotten calls from constituents about the condition of their streets," Bodanza said. "I think it's time to investigate just what the status is of some of these streets and ways."

A petition to appropriate $20,000 to the Gallagher Building Expense account was also unanimously approved by the council. Bodanza explained that the money will be used to repair the front steps leading up to the building from Church Street.

"If any of you have witnessed those steps, they're in very dire need of repair. They are a safety problem and an eye sore," Bodanza said.

The council also voted to give further time to an ongoing hearing regarding the potential rezoning of several lots on Central and Graham streets.

The zoning change was requested by representatives of South Coast Development in Harvard in order to build a gas station at the corner of Central and Graham.

Representatives of South Coast Development spoke before the council during their March 27 meeting where they explained why the lots located at what are currently 172 Central St., 180 Central St., and 58 Graham St. need to be added to the commercial zoning district.

"No one wants to do spot zoning in Massachusetts and this plan proves its not a spot zoning petition," said Jamie Rheault, owner of the engineering firm Whitman & Bingham Associates. "We're actually expanding the existing commercial district across Graham Street, enveloping the three properties."

Rheault explained that the three lots would be cleared in order to make room for a gas station and convenience store.

A spokesman for South Coast Development did confirm that the company has already spoken with Honey Farms and Dunkin Donuts to move into the space.

The city Planning Board had already unanimously voted in favor of approving the zoning change. The Zoning Board of Appeals was also in favor of the change under certain conditions.

In a March 22 letter they wrote: "The ZBA members are strongly against spot zoning, but would recommend the zoning changes requested in the district conditioned upon the entire corridor from Graham Street to Union Street be changed to commercial as well."

South Coast Development has already built several local gas stations, including the recently built Cumberland Farms locations at Main Street and Mechanic Street.

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